Swimming with leopard sharks, stingrays, and blue whales…OH YEAH! They do it all at the Catalina Island Marine Institute in California!

Hiking through pristine island habitat, snorkeling in clear ocean waters, chasing marine fish, picking up a crawling octopus, doing a plankton tow and following a pod of bow-riding dolphins are just a few of the experiences that immerse our students in the marine and island environments at Catalina Island Marine Institute – Toyon Bay! Labs include informal discussion and lots of hands-on activities. The goal of this STEM trip is to completely immerse students in the field of aquatic ecosystems working side-by-side with experts in the field of marine science.

 

Photo credit: American Academy

 

Itinerary

Below is a typical trip itinerary. Schedule and activities are subject to change based on local weather and water conditions.

 

DAY 1 - Fly to Los Angeles -  stay overnight in Long Beach

 

DAY 2-5 - Ferry trip to Catalina Island and Toyon Bay campus - Snorkeling, marine behavior, labs to explore sharks, rays, invertebrates, plankton, and algae, research boat, astronomy hike, campfire and night snorkeling

 

DAY 5 - Ferry / fly to Denver

 

Estimated Cost

$1,500.00/student

 

The trip fee covers all student travel expenses including airfare, and is NON-REFUNDABLE. Trip fees may vary from year to year depending on the cost of transportation and lodging, programming, and student participation.

 

Estimated Time of Travel

August - September (all campuses in one week)

 

Contact

Chris Todd, STEM Trip Coordinator